Molotov Cocktail

Molotov Cocktail
A home-made flammable grenade.
Damage	16 - 24
Single	AP: 5, Range: 15
n/a
n/a
Damage type	Explode
Ammo	None
Ammo capacity	0
Strength required	3
Type	Single-handed
Weight	453 grams
Base price	60 caps

Crafting table
x 30
Requirements
Resources	4 x
Tools
XP	200

Background

Truly a freedom fighter's weapon, the Molotov cocktail first saw use in name by the natives of Finland, who fought against invading Bolshevik Russians during the oft-overlooked Winter War of 1939. Improvised incendiary devices had been used in the Spanish Civil War just prior, but the name was coined by the Finns. The name is an insulting reference to the Soviet then-minister of foreign relations. Molotovs have no explosive or concussive agents, but the mixture of petrol or gasoline and a thickening agent (usually resulting in napalm or a similar substance) can burn for hours. For ignition, a rag or cloth of some sort is stuck into the bottle so that it creates an impromptu wick to the chemical mixture. The rag is usually soaked in alcohol, then ignited and the bottle is quickly thrown. Due to the lack of oxygen, the wick doesn't actually "burn down" and usually the thrower isn't at much risk of harming themselves when compared to a ticking grenade; rather, the burning wick ignites the flammable substance once the bottle breaks and oxygen is able to feed the flames.

Specifically, the Finns used them in guerrilla warfare against Soviet armored vehicles, which had very poor engine protection. Finnish freedom fighters would kill Soviet infantry and allow armor to penetrate their defenses, then close up behind the tanks once they had lost infantry support and shower the rear with Molotovs. The napalm would seep into the engine compartment through exposed ventilation or exhaust areas, resulting in vehicle failure, often catastrophically. The Finns, despite their lack of numbers and equipment, managed to make the Soviets' invasion so costly that they withdrew, retaining their sovereignty in the face of the Red Menace.